Well well well. Looks like I got the new chapter out sooner then I expected! It's been, what, a week? Go me.

Peach Girl

Deceiving

Ch. 4: The night ends and a friendship begins?

"It's Mother. She's been murdered."

As Ryo looked his brothers in the eyes, a grave expression on his chiseled features, Kiley's thoughts spun out of control, and he had to grab onto Toji to keep from falling down. Mother….their mother….She was…."What?!"

Toji was having a similar reaction, and after Kiley spoke, he looked up at Ryo, willing it to be a dream. More like a nightmare.

Ryo was calm, but his eyes were full of emotion, mostly turmoil. Ryo was never emotional like that. Sometimes he would be wildly happy, usually when girls were around. That was mostly faked, though, as his two brothers knew all too well. Toji knew by the emotion swirling in his dark blue eyes that it was not a joke. It was true. Mother was….

"Keep calm." Ryo instructed, seeing Kiley swoon and Toji clench his fists. "We have to leave the ball, but for godsake, do not cause a scene. We need not tell anyone that she is gone. They will find out soon enough."

"Then why….leave now? We, we…." Kiley gestured feebly, not even knowing why he wanted to dance right now. Why did he want to whirl and twirl amidst the ladies of the ball? An escape from reality, maybe. But right now, he could not deal with the prospect of coming home to Ashen and not seeing their happy, beautiful mother. He didn't want to go home...

Queen Runda was a happy soul. She was from a neighboring country on the edge of the sea, and had grown up free and happy. She loved to dance, and she loved to sing. Her constant smile cheered up anyone who saw her. Her husband, the king, was stern and overbearing at times, and she was the only one who could make him smile. They had been made to marry when they were young -it was their duty- but that had long ago turned into a deep bond. Love.

Now, Kiley didn't know what was going to happen on their return home. He just couldn't take it, and he gulped in some fresh air and closed his eyes. He didn't understand who could have-or why-

"The circumstances are strange enough. We will pretend that she has been ill, and that we must return to her side because she has taken a turn for the worse. Then, in a few days, we will announce her passing." Ryo said authoritatively, speaking as if he was reading a script. He paused to survey the calm courtyard. There was a whisper of cool wind and they shivered.

Silence.

They couldn't look at each other anymore, and instead looked at the ground, each with their own painful thoughts. Toji was silently sobbing. Kiley had tears in his eyes, and sniffled. It was obvious when he looked up that Ryo was disqusted by this weakness, but thankfully he didn't say anything to him.

Finally, Toji asked the questions that Kiley could not. "How was she murdered? And…who…who killed….her?" He shook, but looked into Ryo's eyes as he replied.

"She was suffocated with a pillow in her garden. Her maid found her three hours ago, and a messenger was sent. He is waiting at the back gate with out carriage. That is all I know."

Kiley could barely keep himself from gasping. Someone dared to suffocate her? Who? Who would do this….? He felt his jaw and fists clench, and wanted to punch, to kick, to maim the person responsible for this outrage. "MOTHER!"

Nearby, in the bushes that lined the courtyard, Princess Sae was kneeling, intent on eavesdropping. She had noticed the man who came in to take Ryo away, and then the other two. Toji and Kiley, are those their names? Hmph. They don't even compare to Ryo. He is heavenly. She had listened to the conversation eagerly. It was very juicy information that only she and them knew. That appealed to her, and she smiled. It was too bad that their mother was gone, though, but it didn't really bother her. She sometimes wished her own mother would die. She was a nuisance. All she did was nag, nag, nag. Sae knew the story of Cinderella, and she often pretended to be her in moments of self-pity. Not that she was even remotely close to Cinderella (she didn't even clean) but she felt that emotionally she was pushed too far all the time.

When the youngest wailed out in agony, she jumped. That was unexpected. She looked at him closer, and at the blonde too. They were both visibly upset, but Ryo was calm and collected. He stood there, facing his brothers, looking exactly the way a hero should look. Flawless.

They had danced a few times during that night, and she loved it. He was sweet and attentive, but at the same time gave off an air of manly perfection and intelligence. He attracted her like a bee to honey, and she couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

When the men had left, she continued to sit there for a moment, then gathered up her dress and returned to the ball. She looked around for someone interesting to talk to..or dance with. None of the men appealed to her- they were all less then perfect. Torren came to talk to her. He was dressed elegantly and had pushed his thick, shiny hair back out of his face.

"Care for a dance?" He asked her with a small smirk, extending his hand.

At that moment he disqusted her, and she pushed his hand away. "No, I would not care for a dance," she said snidely, walking away and leaving him slightly stunned.

Saw headed to the banquet table, and grabbed some lobster and wine, wondering why all the men she knew were pathetic. As she swigged down a glass of wine, she noticed Cecile Bradley heading straight towards her, and abruptly decided she did not feel like dealing with her just then. She turned and nearly crashed into a girl.

"Oh! Sorry," She said carelessly, fixing her gown and looking into the eyes of the most beautiful blonde she had ever seen. She had never seen her before.

"It's fine…"

"I am Princess Sae. You are…?" Sae asked hurriedly, seeing Cecile near them.

"Oh!" Momo put her hand to her mouth, dazed. She was talking to Princess Sae! "I am Momo."

Sae's eyebrows raised. "Just Momo?"

Momo's temper began to rise, but this was the princess of her country, and she daren't speak badly to her. There could be repurcussions…. "Yes. Just Momo."

"SAE MARISCHA!" Cecile had finally arrived, putting her hands on her hips. Cecile was pretty, vicious and Sae's best friend- at least until she had slept with Sir Thomas, who belonged to Sae.

Sae glared at her. "I am busy, traitor." She turned her attention to Momo, and Cecile stood there looking confused. "Momo, darling, I would just love to go horseback riding with you tomorrow." She said in her nicest voice, flashing a 1000-watt smile and turning slightly so Cecile was not in her direct line of vision. Inwardly she was smiling too. Take that!

Momo's temper was boiling over. She knew she was being used, but there was nothing she could do about it. Sae knew her name, and could destroy her family in an instant if she wanted to. Momo was no dumb blonde.

"Okay," She finally replied, thinking that it was just one day. And she loved horseback riding.

"Splendid!" Sae linked arms with her. "Be here at noon." She spotted Thomas dancing with some redhead, and dragged Momo over there with her. "Tommy, you slimeball!"

Thomas looked at her, cringing at her tone. "Sae honey… Don't be angry."

She raised her head. "Oh, I'm not. I just slept with Torren."

"I slept with your best friend…so you sleep with mine?" he asked her incredulously.

She said nothing, only smiled. Thomas excused himself from the annoyed redhead, and headed into the crowd, probably looking for Torren.

Momo was completely dazed. This was not her world. This was….ridiculous! Cheating, stealing, manipulating? It was all too much for her, and she was developing a headache. "Your highness?"

"Just call me Sae. The title is soooo boring," Sae smiled at her, and Momo wondered if it was genuine.

"Okay. Sae. Look, I need to go home. I have to get up earlier tomorrow if I'm to get all my work done before we go horseback riding. Noon, right?"

Sae's attention was already elsewhere, but she nodded. "Yes, yes…noon. See you then." She swept off, and Momo rolled her eyes at the ceiling. She didn't remember why it was so important that she go to this ball, anyway. And now she had to cater to a ridiculous princess tomorrow.

Momo looked around to see if Toji had returned yet, but he was nowhere to be found. She sighed, and figured that she would never see him again. She was a peasant, after all, and from what she had just seen- the high-class world was not where she wanted to be.

Momo left the ballroom, taking off her heels and walking barefoot to the horse trail, which was a shortcut back to her cottage. It was dark and silent outside, and she reveled in it. She loved being outside. It was bliss after working during the day.

It was over five miles to her home, and she enjoyed every moment of it.

When she arrived, she found her father waiting. "Hello, dear….how was your big night?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Glamour….beauty…and drama."

He laughed, and then widened his eyes at hearing what had occurred with the Princess of Ashen. "You are horseback riding with her? Tomorrow?"

"Afraid so."

"Hmmm…" He stroked his chin. "What about your work?"

"I will get up earlier." Momo's parents ran a small farm, and it took a great deal of work to keep it going.

"I reckon you should start now." He said sternly. She had a great father, but he was very set in his ways. He believe people were responsible for their own actions.

"All right, Daddy," Momo sighed, and went outdoors, glancing at her bedroom door with sadness.

Thank you for your continued support.

I know there was no romance in this chapter, but I had to set a few things up. Hopefully their world is a bit more real to you.